In order to perform laboratory analyses, it is often necessary to have a receptacle containing a predetermined quantity of a liquid substance such as a serum or a reagent. This is often achieved by means of a graduated pipette which is used to suck up a certain quantity of liquid; thereafter, the predetermined quantity of liquid is allowed to flow out under gravity.
When the quantity to be dispensed is very small, this method suffers from being inaccurate. In the past, it has not been possible to measure quantities of less than 100 micrometers to within a few percent.
The object of the present invention is to provide a device enabling much smaller quantities, e.g. 5 microliters to 10 microliters, to be dispensed to within 1%, thereby reducing the quantities of serum or reagent required for performing analyses.